NEWS DESK 

The Bangladesh Bank on Saturday asked state-owned bank branches to remain open in districts and upazilas under lockdown to provide necessary services on behalf of the central bank and to manage accounts of government bodies.

State-owned banks also need to be open so that social safety allowance can be sent to the regions, the central bank said in a circular.

"Unless the government, deputy commissioner, upazila council or law enforcement agencies specifically instruct them to shut down, state-owned banks have to stay open on a limited scale in locked-down areas," the circular reads. 

The Bangladesh Bank has instructed the Sonali, Rupali, Agrani, Janata, Bangladesh Krishi and the Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan banks to remain open from 10 am to 1 pm for transactions.

But bankers have to stay back at their branches or offices till 2 pm.